This invention relates to a sortation conveyor with pusher shoes which travel laterally (transverse to the longitudinal direction of travel of the sortation conveyor) to divert articles carried by the upper conveying surface of the sortation conveyor to diverts, and more particularly to a sortation conveyor in which the pushers are guided along divert guide paths so as to gently engage and gradually accelerate conveyed articles, such as cartons, laterally onto the diverts. The invention will be disclosed in connection with, but not limited to, a sortation system which includes a divert guide path guide track, with an arcuate section, configured to produce gentle initial contact between the pushers and conveyed articles followed by gradual acceleration.
It is believed that a sortation conveyor constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention may effectively be operated at high speeds, such as 650 feet per minute and higher, including for example, 700 feet per minute, 800 feet per minute, 1000 feet per minute and possibly even higher, having a variable throughput rate based on carton length and gaps, while maintaining control of the conveyed articles without cartons rotating substantially beyond the final divert angle, toppling or otherwise upsetting the articles. Sortation conveyors constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention may also be operated at lower speeds with improved control. Such improved control results in a higher percentage of articles being successfully diverted when utilizing the teachings of the present invention in comparison to when utilizing the teachings of the prior art.
Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.